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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Powder Room After and Before

The phrase "before and after" seems backwards to me. I always want to lead with the fancy good looking after pictures first and then show you the before crap that started the project.So first you can see our updated powder room. The room measures about 5 feet x 5 feet so you'll have to excuse the cramped pictures. The only major purchase and installation was the tile floor. Happily, it was also the easiest part of the project since we had it done by the professionals.

It really turned out wonderful and is so much better than the worn out stained vinyl floor that was there before.

Because we had to replace the shoe molding I ended up painting all the trim. The old color was an antique or off-white and I replaced it with a nice new bright white. After the wallpaper was removed I painted the walls in Sherwin Williams Sea Salt. It could be the most perfect blue/gray/green paint color we've ever chosen.

We kept the toilet. It is a fancy style by Kohler. We will probably need to replace the insides in the next couple of years but the toilet itself was in good shape and new ones in this style are expensive. I did buy a new wooden seat for the toilet. Surprisingly, it really did look a lot better than the old worn out plastic one. The toilet paper holder is new and I highly recommend this style over the kind with the spring loaded piece in the middle. This kind is much easier for the kids to change and makes it a lot less likely that it will get pulled off the wall prematurely.

I did replace the light switch, outlet and the switch plates. One of the strange things about this house is that the previous owner obviously went to a lot of trouble to get antique door hinges, window hardware, doorknobs, etc but yet put in the cheap plastic switch plates. These new ones look so much better. And, yes, I did it do the electric work myself!!! It was actually pretty easy.

We kept the pedestal sink but put in a new mirror, light fixture and towel ring. All the accessories were purchased in a chrome finish to match the faucet. I decided against a medicine cabinet in here since this is really just a powder room. I do want to get a small cabinet for above the toilet for all our various little sundries. We want a cabinet that is antique or a little more unique than the usual over the toilet variety so it make take a few months to find one.

Behind the door across from the toilet you will find our art print from Janet Hill Studio. I still love it as much as when I first found it on etsy. I had it framed and matted at Hobby Lobby. It gives the room a little pop of personality.And on the front of the bathroom door...

...I hung a pretty basket of sweet daisies. And finally the obligatory blogger before and after collage shot...

It was a bit of work to get the wallpaper down but in the end it was so worth it. Everything in the room feels fresh and clean and just lovely.

All in I spent about $1000 with the biggest expense being the the floor. I saved money by keeping the toilet and the sink and by removing the wallpaper myself. It is a lot of money, but for us the powder room is a very public space so we want it to look nice for our guests. We also keep telling ourselves that if we ever had to move in the next few years that we have really added some good resale value. In the end though it's worth it if only because it makes us happy to have such a nice new room.

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Welcome!!!

Hi, I'm Alissa. Born in NY, career woman turned SAHM now living in a small town in the Midwest with my husband and our 3 children. Please join me as I chronicle our diy adventures in our 1860 Queen Anne home, my new found love for quilting, other various crafty projects, my addiction to diet pepsi, and the chaos that goes on in our daily lives.